Belmont announces schedules for men’s and women’s cross country events

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The 2024 Belmont University men’s and women’s cross country schedules have been released. The fall schedule includes six regular-season meets, culminating with the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and the NCAA South Regional Championship in Tallahassee, Florida.

Heading up the 2024 schedule is the Belmont Opener on Friday, Aug. 30 at Percy Warner Park. The women’s team placed first in the meet last year, scoring half of the top 10 runners and winning the meet by 30 points. The men’s team placed second in the meet last year and has won the Belmont Opener six times in the last eight years.

A week after the Belmont opener, the Bruins will stay in Nashville for the Trevecca opener. The match will take place at Percy Warner Park on September 7. In addition to being their home course, the Bruins raced on the Vaughan’s Gap course at Percy Warner Park three times last season.

After starting the season locally, the Bruins will travel to Alabama for the Southern Showcase, hosted by Jacksonville State at the John Hunt Cross Country Course in Huntsville on Friday, September 13. Introduced last year, the Southern Showcase has quickly become a successful meet. , including many top-level schools as well as a fast-paced curriculum.

After a short stint away from home, Belmont will return to Nashville for the Michael Pretorius Invitational on September 28. The meet will be played on the Vaughan’s Gap course at Percy Warner Park.

Next up is a trip to Northern Indiana on Friday, Oct. 4 for Notre Dame’s South Bend Invitational. Last year, the competition attracted high caliber teams such as Alabama, Florida State and North Carolina State, resulting in some incredibly fast times. This will be the Bruins’ first appearance at the Notre Dame Invitational since the 2019 season.

The Bruins will next compete in the Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, on Friday, Oct. 18. Last year, the women’s team placed third at the Crimson Classic, with four runners finishing in the top 25. The men’s team placed second with three runners finishing in the top 25. On Saturday, Oct. 19, more Bruins will travel to Madison, Wisconsin, for the NCAA Pre-Nationals.

Belmont will head to the MVC Cross Country Championships on Friday, Nov. 1, hosted by Northern Iowa at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The women’s team won its first MVC championship last year, with five runners in the top 15, including a second-place finish by a returning senior. Kaitlyn Vanderkolk. The Bruins have won two conference championship races in the last three years. The men’s team finished third last year and are looking to build on their success with many experienced runners.

Following the MVC Championships, the Bruins will travel south for the NCAA Southern Regional Championships hosted by Florida State University at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday, November 15. The 2024 NCAA Championships, to be hosted by the University of Wisconsin, will take place on Saturday, November 23 at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison, Wisconsin.

Belmont hopes to continue its success in 2024 after a strong last season. With an array of young talent, the women’s team will look to veteran leadership from All-MVC performers, Kaitlyn Vanderkolk, Grace LitzingerAnd Brooke Stromsland this season. Kaitlyn Vanderkolk qualified for last year’s championship race and was an all-regional selection. She currently holds the school record in the 6K, which she set last year at the NCAA South Regional Championship.

On the men’s side, Carter Cheeseman returns after stellar seasons on both indoor and outdoor track, setting school records in the outdoor 5,000m, indoor mile, 3,000m and 5,000m. The Bruins will also be counting on the return of veteran leaders Ethan Hammer And Zac Shaffer. Kevin Vanderkolkwho won the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2024 MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championship and advanced to the East first round of the NCAA South Regionals, will also be a key contributor.

The Belmont women’s team has won nine women’s conference team championships during its NCAA Division I era, while the Bruin men’s team has won six titles during the Bruins NCAA era.

Follow Belmont Men’s and Women’s Cross Country on Social Media – @BelmontXCTF on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontmxc and @belmontwxc on Instagram, and @BUXCTF on Facebook – for complete Bruins coverage. Stay up-to-date on all Belmont sports programming via the official Belmont Bruins app, available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

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